The DU women’s soccer team boasts a trio of capable goalkeepers, including starter Lara Campbell and reserves Maria Khan and Amelia Davis. All three have been active this season, establishing their presence on the field after recording nine combined shutout games, seven of which came during Sun Belt Conference match-ups.
In four consecutive games between Oct. 2 and Oct. 14, the Pioneers shut out Louisiana-Monroe, South Alabama, Troy and Florida Atlantic University, while scoring 19 goals of their own.
The Pioneers ended the regular season shutting out two of their final three opponents, including Arkansas State and Arkansas-Little Rock, with scores of 6-0 and 2-0, respectively.
“It’s honestly a team effort,” said Campbell, a junior, about the team’s defensive dominance in conference play. “I’ve got the whole team there in front of me. It’s a really great team success.”
Campbell recorded 46 saves for the Pioneers this season, totaling more than 1,200 minutes of playing time in goal.
Campbell, who grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, said she chose DU because of the friendly atmosphere and the variety of outdoor activities available nearby. She has been playing soccer since elementary school, and decided to be a goalkeeper because “it just looked fun.”
“A lot of people don’t think diving around and sacrificing your body like that would be fun, but for me, it is,” said Campbell.
Not evident in Campbell’s season statistics is the fact that she missed a large part of early-season training due to an injury.
“Lara’s season has been a little different,” said head coach Jeff Hooker. “She was injured early on and couldn’t train, and she missed a lot of the preseason. That can change a lot, and her first game wasn’t until a couple into the season. But at this point she’s doing very well.”
While Campbell was recovering, junior Maria Khan stepped into her position as starting goalkeeper. She has recorded 26 saves in 505 minutes of play this season.
“Maria went undefeated at the beginning of the season,” said Hooker. “She made some big strides in the preseason. She took a load on that wasn’t expected.”
Originally from Aurora, Colo., Khan has been playing soccer since fifth grade. However, she hasn’t always been a goalkeeper.
“I was kind of thrown into the position,” said Khan. “The first year I played recreational soccer, the goalkeeper didn’t show up one day. I hopped in, and I ended up staying there.”
Khan agrees with Campbell that a shutout is a team effort.
“[A shutout] is a good feeling,” said Khan with a smile. “It definitely goes to the team and how well they work together. We really need everybody to keep the other team at zero.”
Also contributing to the Pioneers’ success is sophomore Amelia Davis, who grew up in Palisade, Colo.
“I’m originally from Colorado, and it was nice to find a place that’s close to home but still gives me distance from my family,” said Davis. “It’s a great soccer program and a great academic program. It’s everything I was looking for.”
Davis has stepped up at several points during the season, recording one save in 38 minutes of play.
“Amelia hasn’t let up a goal,” said Hooker. “She has learned how to prepare mentally, and she’s very confident for a younger player. To have that in a sophomore is great. She’s always ready to train, always ready to play.”
Like Khan, Davis didn’t intend to become a goalkeeper.
“I first started playing goalie when I was 10,” said Davis. “They put me into the goal, and I was the person who could catch the ball. It just developed into the position I was naturally best at.”
Davis said the team’s strong bond made the season fun and likely contributed to their success.
“A big part of it is team camaraderie,” said Davis. “It’s great being with a group of people who have the same passion you do.”
As the regular season comes to an end, Hooker said he is proud of his team’s maturity, especially considering that 19 of the 26 girls are underclassmen.
“[A shutout] takes concentration for 90 minutes,” said Hooker. “You have to have fewer defensive lapses. As a team, we have played for the whole 90 minutes, without taking a break.”
